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Garden Walk 2015 scheduled for July 18

Abbey Schubert, HTR Media
Published 9:21 a.m. CT July 11, 2015

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Bill (left) and Cathy Scola (right) stand in front of their potting shed. The doors on the shed were salvaged from an old barn on the property that was knocked down before the couple moved in.(Photo: Abbey Schubert/HTR Media)Buy Photo

A giant homemade wire spider, a repurposed potting shed and several original water features are just a few of the rarities out for display in this weekend's Garden Walk.

On Saturday, July 18, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., six of Two Rivers' most elaborate gardens will be exhibited in the 2015 Garden Walk, presented by the Manitowoc County Master Gardeners.

The Garden Walk is a biennial event that showcases the best of what Manitowoc County has to offer in terms of gardening. Typically, the walk encompasses all of the Manitowoc area, but this year, it focuses specifically on Two Rivers.

"During the Garden Walk, people get to go around and get lots of ideas of how other people put their gardens together and what they grow, and different things that they do in their gardens," said Judy Lango, the chairwoman of this year's Garden Walk.

Each garden displayed in this year's Garden Walk offers visitors a unique experience. The garden of Bill and Cathy Scola at 4920 County Road VV stands out among the rest because of its tremendous size. Just under 5 acres, the garden has plenty of space to feature a rare variety of flowers, greenery and vegetables.

Cathy Scola said she takes care of the floral and shrubbery gardens, while she leaves her husband in charge of the vegetables.

"I try and do all deer-resistant and drought-tolerant plants as much as possible, and I'm pretty much a free will," Cathy Scola said. "Wherever a seed falls, that's where the next plant comes up, and I don't like to pull a plant unless it's absolutely outside of its bounds."

This year, Bill Scola planted more than two dozen different fruits and vegetables.

"We give away quite a bit (of our fruits and vegetables) during the year when we have access," Bill Scola said. "We give to the neighbors, but then to the ecumenical pantry. Whenever we have too much stuff, they're always willing to take it."

The garden's size and plant variety are not the only elements that set the Scolas' yard apart. The garden also resides on a foundation of rich history — literally.

"There's quite a history of this property, and we don't even know the whole story of it," Cathy Scola said. "At one time, it was a family retreat. Where the grass is thin, there's still a partial tennis court from the retreat under there."

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The garden of Toni Brendemuehl sits on the edge of the East Twin River.(Photo: Abbey Schubert/HTR Media)

The home on the retreat eventually burned down, Cathy Scola said, and in its place, a new home, barn and farm were created. She is unsure of the exact time the property became a farm, but believes it was around 1979.

Then, in November 2007, the Scolas purchased the property and immediately began transforming it into the massive garden it is today. In remodeling the space, the Scolas made sure to uphold some of the property's history in their decor.

"There was an old barn at the front of the property that was knocked down but never cleaned up, so a lot of the big rocks in some of the flower beds are actually pieces of the barn's foundation," Cathy Scola said. "All the old stuff that you see, we probably found in a pile somewhere."

All of this hard work to renovate and maintain the garden comes with a hefty time commitment.

"I would say with an average week, we'll spend at least five days and eight hours out here each of those days," Bill Scola said.

However, the Scolas said they usually don't mind the workload.

"It takes your mind off of things," Cathy Scola said. "It's just nice to be outside every day."

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The garden of Barb Altergott features a small desk setup.(Photo: Abbey Schubert/HTR Media)